Lutz named Hilton Head Motoring Festival chairman

General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz with the 2011 GMC Acadia Denali luxury CUV after its unveiling Thursday, December 17, 2009 in Detroit, Michigan. The 2011 Acadia Denali, with segment-leading fuel economy, goes on sale in the third quarter of 2010. (Photo by John F. Martin for General Motors)

The 11th Annual Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival and Concours d’Elegance has named Bob Lutz, former vice chairman of General Motors, as this year’s honorary chairman.

“We couldn’t have gotten a better fit for this year’s Honorary Chairman,” said Carolyn Vanagel, the festival’s president. “With the Model T being featured as the Honored Marque during this year’s Concours d’Elegance and the overall ‘Americana’ focus on this year’s event, who better than to have on-hand than the ‘best-known auto executive of the last two decades’ who helped lead every one of the major American automotive manufacturers?”

Lutz will be on hand during the Hilton Head Island portions of the 2012 festival, scheduled for Oct. 26 through Nov. 4, at the Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn. In addition to a Q&A session that will be open to the public, the schedule includes a special “Evening with Bob Lutz” at an exclusive dinner Nov. 3. Lutz will also participate in the Concours d’Elegance as a Guest Judge on Sunday, Nov. 4.

Lutz joins a list of past honorary chairmen that includes names such as Nicola Bulgari, J.W. (Bill) Marriott, Bobby Rahal and Dennis Gage, last year’s chairman.

Historically, many of the past Honorary Chairmen for the Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival have owned their own significant collections, with Lutz being no exception. A collector of both classic automobiles and military jets, some of Lutz’s most prized pieces include an Aero L-39 Albatros, an advanced Czechoslovakian jet fighter trainer and an MD-500 helicopter, both of which he also pilots. His collection also contains a number of motorcycles, including a BMW K1200RS, BMW K1200S, BMW R1100S, BMW K-1 and a BMW HP2 Sport.

Gate ticket prices start at $20 and are available at a discounted rate online through Oct. 15. Patrons and VIP Packages are also available. Children under 12 get in free, ages 12-18 are $5 per day (with student ID) and military (with an active duty I.D.) receive half-off general admission ticket prices at the gate.

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